The 2nd biggest payout of any sporting event in the World is about to take place in the next couple of days. The 2008 Breeders’ Cup World Championship comes to Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California this Friday the 24th October and Saturday the 25th October. A staggering $25.5 million, will be awarded as prize money over the 2 day horse racing betting event. When your talking that kind of money it is no wonder that it draws in only the best thoroughbred horses worldwide.

Read the rest of this entry »

Listening to Gordon Strachan’s analysis of Celtic’s 3-0 mauling at the hands of a rampant Manchester United last night, I was reminded of an old Monty Python sketch when Strachan, reminded that the first two goals were offside, refused to diminish the performance of Man U. It was a skit on the Krays where the interviewer was asking a victim if it was true that one of the twins had nailed his head to the floor. ‘Oh yeah, he did that – but we deserved it!’ he insisted.

Read the rest of this entry »

Why can’t football fans and alcohol mix well? For over 2 generations we have witnessed images beamed from all over Europe as supporters of various football clubs and countries clash in City squares. Lives have been lost! And as always the diagnosis is too much alcohol consumed by fans. Recently, Motherwell chairman, John Boyle, has rallied for the alcohol ban at football matches, in Scotland, to be lifted calling it ‘Absurd!’

Read the rest of this entry »

A few weeks back we spoke of the early signs of a crisis at Tottenham Hotspur since then I’ve read a dozen articles about Tottenham over the last couple of days. Eight games in and only two points on the board and you’re going to get a lot of people commenting and offering solutions and advice. None were very revealing with most churning out the same old clichés about everyone at the club being responsible, lots of hard work needed, only a matter of time before things get sorted etc etc. Premiership betting fans have heard it all before and want to know more than this.

Read the rest of this entry »

You could barely see the drivers for teddies flying through the air - thrown out of prams assembled on the stage at the Chinese Grand Prix press conference in Shanghai. Lewis Hamilton’s pram was in pole position at the front of the stage, next to that of Robert Kubica. Behind them, Fernando Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen sat sullenly in theirs. Motor racing betting fans saw the tantrums start when Alonso made clear the lingering resentment he feels for his perceived second-best treatment from the McLaren team in last year’s season. He doesn’t like Lewis any more and he wants his new friend Robert to win this year and, if he doesn’t, then Felipe and he’s going to do all he can to help them.

Read the rest of this entry »

What a year it has been for British sport, and as we are running into the closing straight of this year it is time to bring some attention to who will lift The BBC’s Sport Personality of The Year award. I have a feeling this year is going to be a tough one to call. With so many great sporting accomplishments by British sports men and woman during 2008. Here we highlight the contenders for the title of BBC Sports Personality of the Year.

Read the rest of this entry »

After the racist incidents during last month’s clash between Croatia and England, FIFA fined the Croatian FA £15000. It’s difficult to understand what their thinking was, given that this is a relatively small fine and unlikely to concentrate the minds of the Croatian authorities on the subject. Both Rio Ferdinand and Emile Heskey, victim of racial incidents in Croatia, have criticised FIFA for the inadequacy of their approach to combating racism. Each have said that a points deduction penalty is the only way forward.

Read the rest of this entry »

During my years of playing (not so much now) and watching football, I have seen some great goals in my time and some absolute blatant misses. On Saturday, I watched the Scotland vs Norway, a 2010 World Cup Qualification game, and was amazed by what I saw. Chris Iwelumo, playing his first game for Scotland had the mother of all sitters.

Read the rest of this entry »

I’m surprised that Fabio Capello appears shocked at the booing of the England team. I can understand his being upset but there surely must be a moronic element in Italian and every other country’s football stadiums that doesn’t know how to behave themselves and at least try to be cool - a section of the crowd that cannot grasp the absurdity of paying money to see their team play football and win and then wilfully undermining their efforts.

Read the rest of this entry »

Danny Cipriano has been in a spat with team mate Josh Lewsey and received a few cuts and bruises. It’s all part of the game, we’re told and not to make too much fuss about it. Now I wasn’t part of that training session and I haven’t interviewed either party but that doesn’t stop me speculating that the ugly culture of celebrity has played a role in this disharmony. In one newspaper report I saw both players described as celebrities and it got me thinking about the true nature of this artificial state of being, so revered in our society yet so reviled by those with intelligence and taste.

Read the rest of this entry »